Combined tufting head and collet construction



Sept. 5, 1939. A. FRIDOLPH COMBINED TUFTING HEAD AND COLLET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 9, 1937 INVENTOR. flu neZZi? F'rz'alo Z 71 6mW M MX MM ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONIBIN'ED TUFTING HEAD AND CQLLET CONSTRUCTION Application January 9, 1937', Serial No. 119,889

7 Claims.

This invention relates to combined tufting head and collet construction, and has to do particularly with metallic button collets adapted to be used-with tufting elements of the general type disclosed in my application Serial No. 542,799,

filed June 8, 1931.

Tufting elements, particularly those used in connection with automobile upholstery, are subjected to a great amount-of tension and where one end of the fastening or tufting element is secured or enclosed in an ornamental button or the like, the problem of securing the head of the tufting element within-the button collet to keep the same from pulling or tearing out'becomes the major one.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ornamental button unit, of the relatively fiat type, said button unit including a collet portion having an opening and a portion so shaped as to receive the head of a tufting element in a manner to effectively prevent pulling or tearing out of the tufting element from the button collet. V

Adapted to cooperate with said opening and special shape of the collet, I have provided a tufting element wherein the relatively stiff portion of the tufting head is of'less width than the tufting head proper; the direct result being a combined collet and tufting head which will withstand a great amount. of strain, which will eliminate any tendency of the tufting head to unroll, and which cushionsthe selvage edge of the fabric forming the tufting element. whereby to relieve strain on said selvage edge.

. Other features have to do with the detailed shape and design of thecollet, in combination with the design, shape and-method offabrication of the tufting head, as will enable the combination to resist relatively great-strains placed :40 on the tufting element, as will be more clearly set worth in the specification and claims:

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an assembledtuftin element and button illustrating one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional. view taken through the assembled button and. fastening element and illustrating in particular the cross sectional construction of the fastening head.

. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2. andshowing the relative positions the parts assume after tension is placed upon the tufting element- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, illustrating particularly. the curling action of the body of the tuftingelementand the relative positioning between the metallic clip portion of the tufting-- head and the walls of the collet;

Fig. 5 is a seotional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewtaken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3 and showing the manner in which the combined tufting head and collet give a curled shape to the body of the tufting element.

Fig. .7 is an elevation, partly in section, of a 10 modified form of button and tufting element structure wherein the button is of elongated form and the collet'structure so shaped as to provide a' plurality of tufting element receiving openings.

Fig. S-is asectional view similar to Fig. Band 15 illustrating the restriction in the size of the tufting element necessary when-a flat button collet is utilized.

Fig. 9'is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8' indicating the tendency to unroll the 20 head of the'tufting element when a flat collet is used.

In the fabrication of automobile upholstery and the like, it is often desirable. to use a relatively flat'ornamental button-in connection with the tufting or fastening means. While the present invention relates to a button collet of novel shape, it' also-pertains to an improved tufting element of the general-type illustrated and described in my application No. 542,799, and as best shown in Figs. 1, 4." and 5 the tufting element; which is generally designated 2, comprises in detail a body portion 3 in the form of a length of fabric tapeand tufting heads or clips 4and 5.

The tufting head 5 is preferably formed by means ofa relatively stiff channel member 6 made of netal' or similar material, and in and aroundwhich channel member is clamped and folded the end portion ofthe tape 3. In its preferredforrn, the legs or ends 7 of the channel 40 member-are positionednextto the body portion 3 andare 'crimped inwardly to form a relatively flat tufting-head; As best shown in Fig. 1, the-channel'me'mber fi is slightly longer than the width of' the tape 3. so as toleave the projecting ends8. This makes it easierv to insert the tuftinghead or clip intoma needle. of the general typeillustrated in my said application Serial No. 542,799. I .1 v

In Figs318 and}? I haveillustrated the. adaptation of my tufting element to an ornamental button havinga colletx ofv a fiat type. It will be seen that in this (arrangement-with the flat collet there isvery little'depth to accommodate the tufting head or clip', and if the hole inthe 2 7 2,171,926 collet 9 is made too big, obviously there will be a tendency for the fastening head to slip out. The sharp abrupt right angular turn would cause to the arcuate shape of the wall, in part to the the selvage edge of the tape to be easily torn or relatively small diameter of the aperture 12a '5 cut, with the result; that the tufting element ly tapered leg portions 7 of the channel member 6a will be prevented from unfolding, due in part tively small aperture and a small space between the head portion and the collet.

2. A combined tufting head and collet assembly comprising a collet having a cup shaped wall portion and an aperture in the center of said wall, an ornamental head portion secured to the collet, a portion of the inner wall of said head portion being spaced from the arcuate wall of the collet, and a tufting element having a body portion formed of tape and a tufting head formed by a stiff transverse member of greater length than said aperture and a folded portion of the end of the tape, the folded portion of the tape being of greater length than the stiff transverse member so that the tufting head in general has a stiff central part and relatively soft flexible parts at the ends thereof, said relatively soft and flexible ends contacting with the arcuate wall of the collet.

3. A combined fastening head and collet assembly comprising a collet having a wall portion tapering inwardly and downwardly and an aperture in the center of said wall, and a fastening element having a transverse fastening head comprising a fabric portion clamped to a channeled stiffening member, the legs of the channel being positioned to contact at each end thereof with the tapering surface of the collet whereby to tend to increase the clamping action as tension is placed upon the fastening head.

4. A combined tufting head and collet assembly comprising a collet having a wall portion tapering inwardly and downwardly and an aperture in the center of said wall, and a tufting element having a tufting head comprising a flexible fabric portion clamped to a stiffening member, portions of said member being so formed and positioned as to contact at each end thereof with the tapeing surface of the collet in a manner tending to increase the clamping action as tension is placed upon the tufting head, the fabric portion clamped to the stiffening member extending past each end thereof whereby to, form cushioning contact between the tufting head and the wall of the collet.

5. A combined tufting head and collet assembly comprising a collet having a wall portion tapering inwardly and downwardly and an aperture in the center of said wall, and. a tufting element having a tufting head comprising a flexible fabric portion clamped to a stiffening member, portions of the member being positioned to contact at each end thereof with the tapering surface of the collet whereby to tend to increase the clamping action as tension is placed upon the tufting head, the fabric portion clamped to the stiffening member extending past each end thereof whereby to form cushioning contacts between the tufting head and the wall of the collet, the said tufting head and collet so cooperating that the fabric extending from the tufting head and forming the body of the tufting element will assume an irregular compact shape under tension, and said aperture including an extended portion terminating in a spun over edge to present a smooth surface for the fabric forming the body of the tufting element.

6. A combined fastening head and collet assembly comprising a collet having a cup shaped wall portion and an aperture in the center of said Wall portion, and a fastening element having an elongated body and a transverse fastening head insertable through said aperture, said fastening head having a stiff center portion of greater length than said aperture and flexible ends.

'7. A combined fastening head and collet assembly comprising a collet having a cup shaped wall portion and an aperture in the center of said wall portion, and a fastening element having an elongated body and a transverse fastening head insertable through said aperture, said fastening head having a stiff center portion of greater length than said aperture and flexible ends, the ends of said head being relatively soft to cushion the points of contact between the ends of the fastening head and the sloping face of the collet.

ANNETTE FRIDOLPH. 

